Thursday, August 7, 2014

Finderskeepers - Pack Your Bags EP on Centretown records

Finderskeepers are a trio from Ottawa who’s members were probably never not in a band. That’s the thing that 15 year old me didn’t realize. Just about every band is made up of and has been in at least ten other bands. If this is your first band, breakup immediately, you aren’t going anywhere. It’s going to take your fifth serious band to get to any reasonable place. Finderskeepers comes from a long line of Ottawa acts and married bassist and guitarist Devin and Chris - even Jon on drums - were even in a few side projects while recording this EP in their rehearsal space.

A-Side’s "It Could All End Tonight" slides into muddy fidelity, this thing already is playing at the back of the basement. I like Chris' wavering vocal that has to blast over this thick mix. Nice chorus of the title lyric with a power pop sound that’s going more punk, a catchy opener that says as much about where they're headed with a track basically saying, carpe diem tiny record. "Society in Decline" snatches little tempo stops and starts to the point I swear the vinyl is skipping. A distant Frank Black vibe here, like a live recent performance in that smaller venue where he got into this punkier Obits sound. Finderskepers drop down to a half tempo, and the unpolished sound suits them, holding on to that scrap sound, the edges of the metal. It's getting sharp but what the hell you gotta take a chance and grab those four chords and hammer them pointlessly into a semblance of shine, finding a momet for a solo, bringing this back up to speed. "Red Riding" finds a slow low end bassline to attach a swirly distortion on in a weird metal soundtrack instrumental. Low crunching, windmil riffs with dexterous fingering techniques reminding me of The Fucking Champs. They don't even have to sell it this hard, I've been waiting for this.

B-Side’s "Pack Your Bags" finds the angsty guitars pushed to the back along with the vocals backed in the corner like that Pixies way, straining to be heard, they keep that raw early take because it’s hard to get back to this place. Whatever it takes to get a performance like this and they keep growing on me in just a couple of listens. Those Hot Snakes riffs are present and focus is on the chorus. "Dashboard" jagged see saw beat, pushed back there like Subbacultcha, when a singer isn't confident he'll bury the vocal, but this is effects or placement. I'm into having to come up with a lot of the content myself, for punk speed and style it feels very constructed and runs right into "Push" with a high delicate power melody that plows huge riffs. With the backup vocal here it really starts to gain some torque, belting this out from across the room without it being incomprehensible growly or fast. Nice work, we will all break up and reform our bands now.

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